Chronicles of Untold Tales
by Cearbhail
Summary: A collection of mini-stories from Cearbhail's Chronicles Universe... story suggestions are always available. No lemons.
1. The Wooden Mask

**Cearbhail:**

 _Well, hello... everyone! Welcome to the Chronicles of Untold Tales. Now... something you all need to know about this series... yes... series. The Chronicles of the Untold Tales are in fact... a seemingly hopefully unending series of short stories, ranging anywhere between 1 chapter to maybe 10 or maybe even more if really necessary. So, these short stories are things that have happened in my Chronicles Universe, but were never told because of timelines, character interactions, and all sorts of things happening at the time.  
_

 _So... while these stories are about the characters in the Chronicles Universe and all that, you will find that characters like Ruby, Maleek, and whatnot will find their way into these stories, as well as Junna, Vatu, Babette... even Claus. Because of this, every story will contain a date of when they took place. And just because I write these doesn't mean you cannot suggest other stories. In fact, and I want to stress this as much as possible... I want WANT you to give me stories you want to see, characters you want to meet, situations you want them to live through. NO LEMONS. Sorry, but I don't do lemons. You want that, go read it somewhere else. If there is a story you wish for me to tell, the reviews are a great way for me to know, as well as sending me a message. Just leave a character name, or whatever it is you want to see, and I'll see about making a story about it. So... without ruining any more time... let's begin._

 _So, this is the fist story, called... The Wooden Mask. I won't reveal who asked for it, but if they choose to volunteer that information, they may through the reviews. I won't tell you what the story is about you'll have to read that yourself. It's 2 chapters long, but only because it didn't need to be any longer._

 _Oh... and enjoy =^^=_

* * *

[Karliah] 4e 199, 19th Sun's Height

 _Dear journal,_

 _A lot has happened. Shall I start from the beginning? Mercer just betrayed us. He killed Gallus. I'm on my way back to Riften, to finish what Mercer started. At least… that was the plan. On the way back to Riften, I intercepted a drop point for an old friend of mine: Mjoll. She wrote me a note telling me about how my 'father' needs my helps shielding my younger sister from an evil Telvanni witch. I must admit, I was surprised Lord Neloth would ask such a thing from me. After he disowned me, he would dare ask me to do something for him? So, I returned to Riften, where the girl waited for me. I had to hide my cover, in fear that I might bring the Thieves Guild down on me. I designed a nice bracelet that hides my identity to anyone I don't want to recognize me._

 _So, I walk into Riften, and find Mjoll waiting for me by the gate. As she nods a welcome to me, I join her. She's watching some child play with some dolls in the backyard of her current 'boyfriend', I call him, Aerin. So… this tiny girl. She was five when I first met her. Only been living here in Riften for a few weeks at most. From what I can tell, Neloth must have wiped her memory away, because she doesn't seem to think she's ever lived anywhere else in her life. Just like Neloth, to wipe clean her memories in order for her to ignore him. So… this girl looks up at me and smiles. She called me her sister. For her to even know that, Neloth would had to have implanted the memories into her. I wonder what she knew of me… and what was faked. Surely, it all had to be fake. I'd never met Veselle in my life. And now… I'm suddenly supposed to take care of her?_

 _I hate Neloth for asking this of me. I hate how he can trivialize our relationship to a mere… 'watch your sister until I return'. But, hiding her from a Telvanni Lord should be simple. He left a note filled with stuff Veselle would need to keep herself hidden from Telvanni Lords. If only he knew how I managed to hide from him. Had to sell my soul to Nocturnal. Anyway, I meet the girl and she's completely thrilled I came back. Back? When did I leave? I had to navigate carefully through her memories of me, learning what I can about what she's been programmed to believe. I almost felt sorry for the girl, having to know a fake history of everyone around her, and to think Neloth could ever put someone through this… even his own daughter. It sickened me. But… as much as I hated the situation, both because I hate Neloth, and because there is the issue with the Thieves Guild thinking I'm a murderer, I have decided to stay around Riften to help this girl. Mjoll and Brand-Shei can't do it alone. She'll need a sister to look out for her._

 _Karliah Indoril_

 _…_

It has been quite the while since I wrote that entry. Besides having to constantly renew my identity replacement bracelet to make sure I'm still different to anyone watching me, I didn't have much trouble settling into a normal routine around here. Of course, I only let myself come here whenever Mercer wasn't around. I can thank Mjoll and Brynjolf for that information. Brynjolf is perhaps the only ally I have in the Guild, and he helps keep me hidden from everyone else, keeping the Guild busy or underground. And this house is just as protected as any other Telvanni structure. I guess Neloth did something that keeps this house avoided by curious people. No one cares who lives here anymore. They avoid it like the plague. Unless they're invited over, anyway.

I was busy washing dishes in the sink after our late dinner. The man I'm casually living with keeps mostly to himself, and I'm glad he doesn't try to suggest a relationship of any kind… especially when he has to pretend to be my father. He actually took the role very seriously. I'm surprised he can actually give me fatherly advice from time to time. I respect him greatly for all he's done so far. I know Veselle is in great hands while I'm off doing my thieving stuff. "Karly!" Little Vessy called from the bathroom. "I brushed my teeth. Story time!" She raced out of the bathroom straight to her room.

So… story time again. I chose not to lie to Veselle about my past. She's been lied to enough times that I think she needs some bit of truth. Even if I lie about knowing her this whole time, it's nice to know that some things she knows about me are true. So… she knows I'm a thief… she knows I'm her sister. She knows I've seen and done things that would spook her. And every night, she'll ask either me or Mjoll for a story, because she knows we have the best. We've been everywhere, mostly in our young wandering years but still… we've seen a lot.

Come to think of it… my life up until I had to come here had been pretty hectic. Sure, thieving has its moments, those subtle seconds of recon and examination where you can catch your breath… and then hold it as your mark walks into the room… searches for you as you make your steal. But just standing here… washing dishes, watching over my baby sister… I don't know… it's calming. Relaxing. This is what life with Gallus might have ended up like… if Mercer hadn't killed him. Mercer… whenever I get the chance, I will make sure to fix that mistake. But only when Veselle is out of my hair and back with Neloth. If I make a mistake… she will be as in much danger as me. I can't risk a move yet. But rest assured… Mercer will taste my arrow soon enough.

"Karly!" Veselle cried from her room, drawing my attention back to my reality. I looked up at a mirror, surprised to see that my purple eyes were not heavily scanning the area within the mirror, searching every corner for Mercer pacing around… or another assassin from the Dark Brotherhood sneaking up behind me. It sure was nice to know that… at least for now… I can relax. Mercer would never look for me here, not within this house… not while I wear a different face. Not while I go by Karly instead of Karliah. I told Veselle never to call me Karliah… it would keep us both safe from the boogeymen living in town. She knew how to keep a secret… after all she is perhaps the biggest secret I have to keep right now. "Karly!" She cried again, this time louder.

Sighing, I looked over my shoulder towards Veselle's room. "Coming, Vessy!" So, I place the unfinished dishes back in the sink, turning to follow Veselle to her room. By the time I got there, she was already pulling the covers over her, rolling herself into a ball. A giant stuffed bear that always slept next to her was currently being squeezed to death by the very same girl. "So…" I said as I walked up to her bed. "What kind of story would you like tonight?"

"How you met Mjolly." She said enthusiastically. How I met Mjoll? Wow… that was a tale.

"Are you sure? It was quite some time ago… like three years ago." Not to mention, I don't think it was something I should tell her. A lot of stuff happened. "And there might be some action involved.

Veselle nodded vigorously. "I know you and Mjolly are best friends. I want to know how you became friends."

I started to shrug, not finding a reason why not to tell her. I could leave out certain details but… I guess it was a pretty good story. And I told myself that I wouldn't lie to her. Not to mention, it would let her know more about how the world outside these walls work. "Are you really sure? There are scary trolls, and menacing villains."

Veselle hugged her teddy closer to her. "I'm a Telvanni Lord!" She cried out loud. "I'm not scared of poopey-headed trolls! I'll burn them with my fire!"

I couldn't stop myself from snickering as I ruffled her head. "You're not a mage yet, and you don't have any magicka. But… that's why Mjoll is going to teach you how to fight. And I will teach you how to hide. By the time you're old enough to travel on your own… you will be one of the best agents we can train. Skilled in martial arts and in sneaking… surviving… everything you could want. And then… when your instructor Neloth feels you're ready to come train with him… you'll finally learn your magic craft."

She nodded very enthusiastically. "I'm ready, Karly. I'm ready right now!"

I shrugged. "Well… let's start with the story for tonight, and then… we'll get you started no your training in the morning. How's that?" She snuggled herself back into her bed, hugging her bear close to her. So… where to start? "Well… It was a chilly summer day of Mid-Year of the 196th year of the fourth era…"

…

[13th Mid Year, 4e 196,]

"So… I hear you're a thief. A Nightingale." A voice barely whispered above my spinning head. The lights were dulled down to a quiet slumber, the wood creaking as fresh snow fell from the rooftops at the New Gnisis Cornerclub, a small pub favored by the local Dunmer that lived in Windhelm. This is of course the kind of town where no one ever visited… no one that wasn't Dunmer anyway. Too many people afraid of being mugged or stabbed by my people. It's for this reason I come here when I need to unwind. These were my folks, my family. My protection. And this was right after the love of my life was taken from me. Just a week after Gallus was murdered. I was doing my thing and forgetting about my past, hoping that I'd find an answer to what I wanted out of life at the bottom of a sujamma bottle. Little did I know… the answer was ahead of me, but doesn't really matter, not at the time anyway. All I knew… someone was bothering me, when I specifically asked to be left alone while I treated my wound.

So, you can understand my negative reaction when someone not only asked me a question, but accurately identified me as a Nightingale. It was a moment where I was frozen with fear. Was it someone Mercer sent to find and eliminate me? Was it someone seeking my thieving expertise? How did they find me? Many questions rolled around my slugging brain, but the constant question kept coming up. Well, not so much a question as… just… Really? I came all the way to the New Gnisis Cornerclub in the middle of the often avoided Gray Quarter of Windhelm because I didn't want to be bothered. It's not like anyone who's not a Dunmer will ever come into the town… and everyone who comes here knows to keep their mouth shut when it comes to other Dunmer's whereabouts. We stick together, and no one would ever betray me here. So… how did this person find me?

It was that question that kept popping up in my head. I don't know how long I sat there, staring at my bottle, but I eventually had to look up. Looking up from my bottle of sujamma, I could see a blue-robed Breton with long red hair looking at me. He looked… fairly young, perhaps mid-twenties. He looked like he was dressed for heavy snow-trudging, a few staves thrown over his shoulder in full view for anyone to see. He looked competent as a mage, but that's not what intrigued me. Standing by the door leading outside was a young Nordic girl. She looked like a teenager… which she was. She was dressed in some well-built iron armor, a glass sword hanging off her belt. I knew the blade, I'd heard of it in my travels with Gallus. The blade that conquered the heart of the grim monsters… Grimsever. And the holder… the one that single-handedly destroyed a pastry shop. We just called her… the Lioness.

 _Really? The Lioness destroyed a pastry shop?_

Well… more like went in and ate everything. You know how Mjoll is with sweets, right?

 _Hehe… yeah._

Well… the Lioness was far worse. She had the stomach of a mammoth and it would not be sated with the mere passing of a Riften Crème. Every time she walked by a pastry shop, the owners knew it was time to pray to Zenithar. And as she walked into the shop… everyone else would run out. A minute later… the shop would be closed. Everything consumed. That's just how the Lioness was. And for her to be here… well…

Back to the story. So, there I was… head spinning, the sujamma making everything blurry. Just looking at the Breton was reminding me of Gallus, and how I wouldn't be spending my life with him… As I studied the Breton in front of me, I noticed he had a side-satchel containing a book. One that read, _The Wooden Mask_. Wooden Mask, huh? That sounded awfully familiar.

 _Wooden mask? I thought you were telling me how you met Mjolly and became her best friend!_ I am, sweetie… just be patient. Lesson one… patience. Listen and see what you can learn. You'll learn a lot listening to my stories. _I thought lesson one was always drink my garlic shake._ That is a different lesson one. And did you drink it? _Yes, Karly._ Good.

I looked up at the Breton, trying my best to look bored. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" I asked as I tried to grab my sujamma. My hand missed its target, knocking the sujamma over. Luckily, the bottle was empty so I avoided having to clean off my leather armor for the sixth time this week.

"Are you the Nightingale I was told of? You have her eyes…" The Breton asked as he pulled up a seat and sat across from me.

I looked him in the eye, trying my best to ignore the fact that I wanted to vomit in his face. "Look, buddy…" I spoke every so eloquently… "I don't know who you are but leave me alone."

The Breton didn't seem fazed as he reached into his satchel, pulling out his book. "I'm interested in finding this mask…" He flipped through a few pages before resting on a drawing of what looked like a festival mask. It was all wooden, not even painted. Looked pretty pointless.

"And?"

The Breton looked pretty stunned. "Well… I'm offering you 500 gold to help me procure it."

"500?" I shook my head. "Whoa… wait." I grabbed my throbbing head. In my fit, I knocked over my other empty sujamma bottles, making them shatter on the floor underneath me. Almost everyone in the cornerclub glanced over at me for a second before going back to their conversations. Once my head settled down, I looked at the Breton again. "You are talking to someone you think is a Nightingale… and you think you can hire her… with 500 gold?"

"And whatever you find along the way. It's in an old ruin… engulfed in the icy wastes north of Skyrim… where ship masters fear to travel. Protected by all sorts of nasty draugr. I want this mask… I want to study it, find out if it really works. But… in order to get it… I need a team." He pointed back at the Lioness. "She's my main defender. I hear the Nightingale Dunmer is an expert archer… and a thief. If I had her on my team… well… magic, sword and steel… and expert archery… it would be what we like to call… the Power of Three. Which is what is called for to enter this ruin. So… are you in? It's likely never been touched by man. Plenty of riches… well… plenty enough to come back here to…" He waved his hand around my table of spilt sujamma. "well… you get it."

I nodded. "Yeah… I do _get_ _it_." I sighed as I leaned back. My head was still spinning, but I could think reasonably enough. I was being offered a job. I didn't know when I would get another one… and if it got me out of this cornerclub… and out into the world again… I guess it wouldn't hurt. I just wasn't ready to face the world. The wound was still fresh in my mind… Gallus' face still crying out my name as he died. No… I wasn't ready to leave my dark corner yet. But… there was something about the wooden mask, I just couldn't ignore. "Ok, fine." I leaned forward again. "I'll do it."

The Breton's face cracked a big smile, reaching over to shake my hand. "I am Neville Corpse-taker. Don't let my last name throw you off. My parents were neo-necromancers."

I nodded. "Yeah… ok. I'm Karliah Indoril." I stuck out my hand, taking his into a handshake. "So, where are going?"

Neville stood up, brushing off his mage robes. "First thing is first, we need you to sober up."

I waved my hand around, dismissing the idea. "I'll clear up on the way down."

"Ok… if you're sure about that." He pulled out a notebook. "Now… your mission with the Lioness is to watch my back while we explore the caverns of the old Nordic ruin. Once we retrieve the mask, your mission is over. You will get your 500, plus whatever you take for yourself while on mission. I have hired a few escorts to take me safely to a site where I can begin my studies on the mask itself."

"Why aren't the Lioness and I escorting you back?" I pointed over to the Nordic girl standing by the door.

Neville shook his head. "While I admire the thought, I suspected you two will be quite exhausted by the trip and would like to return to your lives. I, on the other hand, must make haste to another ruin. I have already made arrangements with a few other mercenaries for protection. They come highly recommended."

I found myself nodding. "Smart reasoning, I guess."

"Thank you." He bowed at my compliment. "Our ship doesn't leave for another few hours so… I suggest you have a sit down with the Lioness. Perhaps you two can come up with a ratio of which treasures you will share." He waved at the Lioness to come join us. She pushed off the door, walking over to me with a slow walk of a patient warrior. She was really young but… you could see it in her eyes… she was not easily pushed around. She was a true Nord, if ever one were to exist.

 _Just like Mjolly!_ Yes… exactly like Mjolly.

So, in walks this beast of a teenager, her glass sword clanking at her side, as she walked over to us. Neville took this time to head off towards the bar, to order his own drink. Meanwhile, the Lioness and I were having a sit down. Now, I thought I knew mercenaries. They love their money… their loot… and just about everything in between if it gets them through the next month. But… the Lioness was a different monster completely… and one I hated often.

"So…" I said we both sat down at the table. "How do you want to split any loot?"

She glared at me for a second, her wavy golden locks of hair barely obscuring her fiery eyes from me. "I don't need any."

That… that always caught me off guard. Here she was… a beast… one of the strongest fighters… and she didn't want any loot? And it annoyed me. "Wait…" I held up my hands, trying to stop her from saying more. My head was spinning again, so I thought maybe I misheard her. "I'm talking about sharing things like… weapons, arrows… potions… gems… gold… um… artifacts. Enchanted things."

"I don't need any." She repeated. "Unless we come across some food or drink… I'm good. Perhaps the occasional piece of armor to upgrade my own arsenal."

That… that sounded off to me. "What do you do to survive?"

She shrugged. "I eat off the land. Sleep in caves. Eat snow for water."

"But…" My head was spinning. "How do you make a living? Are you even taking payment for this?"

She shook her head. "No need to. I'm helping him out because I feel like it."

 _Wow… she sounds exactly like Mjolly._ Your powers of observation are amazing, little one. _So, when do you meet her?_ Never mind.

I was so lost by her attitude that I seemed to be even harder hit by the sujamma in my system. "Ugh.. my head." I looked down at the table, both to let my head settle and to get away from the Lioness's judgmental glares.

"You lot sicken me. You make your money stealing from others who earned theirs the hard way. Did it ever occur to you that joining a real guild would allow you some amount of satisfaction, comradery, anything?" Lioness's voice was growing sharper, louder. It made my head spin even faster. But… I couldn't let her get away with what she said. And as I looked up to combat her… my memory flashed. Gallus… Mercer… She was right… Gallus and I were together, we loved what we did, and we only really stole from those who deserved it. But Mercer… he stole from me… his own friend and ally. He stole Gallus from me. Stole the Guild too. The place I learned to love… gone… just like that. Stolen from right underneath me… in one night.

"It would be nice to have real friends." I found myself saying. Just thinking about how everyone would be accusing me of killing Gallus… a man I loved… it made it so much worse.

Lioness placed her hand on top of mine, rubbing her thumb reassuringly. When I glanced back up at her, she was smiling somewhat. "You seem like you need some. May I ask you… what happened?" She looked at my assortment of empty sujamma bottles. She must know that I was hurting pretty badly.

"Well…" I shrugged. Should I tell her? I think I needed someone to hear my side of the story. Gods know that everyone I know thinks I'm a villain… even worse than a thief… a betrayer… murderer… I have to have someone on my side. "I used to be in the Thieves Guild… a Nightingale… a partner-in-crime to Nocturnal. There were three of us… three Nightingales. One was Gallus… a man I loved and would go to the ends of the world for… the other was a man named Mercer. And… he killed Gallus, framed me for it. Tried to kill me too. I barely got away. And by the time I got home in Riften… he had already spread the word… and the thieves turned on me. I barely made it out of that alive too… and so… I ended up here…" I waved my hands around the cornerclub. "My fellow Dunmer stitched me up… gave me sujamma, and let me slump into my corner, where no one bothers me."

The Lioness seemed to understand me. She nodded at the story. "I… I lived in a village just southeast of Solitude. Just last year… my whole village was destroyed by bandits. I watched as my father died… my mother fought to the death… my brother plunged through the chest. I managed to survive, but barely so. You see this paint I wear?" She gestured to the blue streak of pain running down the left side of her face. "It hides an awful burn mark… one I'm ashamed of. I had my face tattooed to hide it from the world."

 _Wait… blue streak? Is the Lioness Mjoll?_ It's about time you got there. Good for you, little squirt! _Hey… what do you want? I'm only six!_ Says the Telvanni Lord… _Karly!_

So, after hearing the Lioness's story, and after she heard mine… we found ourselves sharing our names. "I'm Karliah Indoril."

"Mjoll Lion-Heart." She took my hand in a quick shake. "I'm sorry to hear what you had to go through, but it is the life of a thief."

"Trust me… it usually isn't. Thieves tend to stick together. It's us against the world… not against each other. Mercer just isn't one of us. One day… I'll make sure justice finds its way to him."

She smirked at that. "I hope you are the one to deliver it."

"As long as the wrongs are righted… I don't care who delivers the justice." I looked over at Neville… who was finishing up his tab for a few drinks for us. "Until then… I guess I just need to move on with my life, find something new to keep me occupied."

"You could adventure with me. It would be nice to have someone watching my back." Mjoll suggested.

I shrugged. "We'll see how this mission turns out first. If we make a good team… I don't see why not."

Neville joined us at the table, passing Mjoll some sujamma, himself some flin, and a bottle of water for me. When I looked down at it, he smiled. "You need to sober up… Mjoll and I need to catch up. Our ship isn't scheduled to leave for another hour so… drink up. We'll leave after a small meal." Ok… I'm ok with this. Gallus… watch over me. I think… I think it's time I get back out there. The small wound on my side started to sting… but little did I know that it would soon blossom to something else entirely.

…

[Current day]

I looked down at the tiny Vessy, hugging her bear close to her. Drool was slowly creeping down her cheek… her snoring light. I don't know when she fell asleep, but… I guess I would just have to continue the story tomorrow night. I wasn't even halfway done.

I bent down, kissed her on the forehead, and finished placing a blanket on top of her, closing her mouth and wiping the drool off her cheek. I blew the candle on her nightstand out before slowly creeping out of her room, closing the door behind me. Oh well… I have the rest of the night to myself. Better get that mead with Mjoll. I promised we'd have a woman's night out on the town.

* * *

 **Cearbhail:**

 _We'll pick this up in the next chapter.  
_


	2. Dragon's Breath

**Cearbhail:**

 _So, we're back for the second chapter. I hope you're enjoying it. Let me know if you would like for me to do a story.  
_

 _Oh... and enjoy =^^=_

* * *

 _Dear Karliah,_

 _I trust this letter finds you well. It's been a while since we've last adventured together, and you're still looking for Gallus' journal, but I felt this was pretty important given the situation. I don't want to upset you, knowing your past… and your relationship with your father, but your father, Neloth Maryon, dropped by today. He had a small five year-old girl named Veselle with him. He was asking for you, wanting your help. His daughter, Veselle, has grown into her magicka and well… she's unstable. She's so strong, I guess she attracted the attention of an evil witch or something like that. Someone that Neloth couldn't beat on his own… not while trying to protect his daughter. So, he wanted to you to watch his daughter for him; seeing as you have a lot of experience hiding from mages and all that. Or… just hiding in general, I guess._

 _Well, your father has seemingly roped me into this scheme… you know me… I can't say 'no' to people who need help. So… I'm stuck in Riften until this situation is resolved. I promised I would watch her, but the condition is that she can't leave Riften unless it becomes compromised somehow. With all the crime and whatnot, there is a lot of negative energy that blocks scrying? Or something? I don't really know, he talks fast. Anyway, the girl's here… I'm watching her… and so is this Telvanni guy Brand-Shei. He's playing her father; I'm just a family friend… and you're… her sister. She's waiting for you. According to some programmed identity… she has a close relationship with you. She almost looks to you as a mother. Anyway, we're here in Riften. You should know… Mercer is still here, the Thieves Guild has run itself into the ground. They're little more than common thugs at the current moment. If you do come back, wear a different face, otherwise… well… you already know. It's why you've never returned to Riften._

 _If you choose to come back, we will be waiting._

 _Mjoll the Lioness._

 _…_

Today was something of a day. Had the usual sort of day. I spent the morning preparing breakfast for Veselle, making her favorite pancakes and whatnot. I made sure to add some of that magicka-draining honey she obsesses about, or… programmed to obsess about. She went for a run around the town, as per Mjoll's instructions. If she is going to survive in this world, she needs to know her way around the town, every alley… every person. And she needs to be fit. So, a run around town is the best thing for her. I follow behind her in case someone tries to abduct her or something. Mjoll does pretty much the same.

When Veselle is tired and ready to rest, I take her to the river to practice swimming. She hates the water a lot. I don't blame her, it is polluted. But the water in the river is a lot cleaner than the river in our canal. So, we head out to a safer spot on a beach, right where Veselle can swim in peace. Mjoll is still in town, making sure nothing weird happens. Me… I'm just out here making sure Veselle doesn't drown. And while she's paddling back and forth, splashing water at me from time to time… I'm looking at the island fortress Goldenglow Estate. The guy that lives there runs a honey operation… one that delivers their honey to Maven Black-Briar… someone that gives the Thieves Guild a lot of power in her town. If Maven were to lose that investment… the Guild would be sure to investigate… and that would force Mercer to come out of hiding and into the open. I think I just started myself down a road I cannot turn away from.

After swimming practice, the two of us walk around the woods for a few minutes. I teach her how to pick berries, which ones are good to eat and which are not. I show her a pack of wolves and how they work together to bring down a deer… which I kill the wolves before they can rip the deer apart. I'm still a crack shot with a bow. I take the deer, skin it, and gather the meat into a few baskets I brought along with us. Veselle helps me carry the meat back to Riften where we store it in our icebox to be used for later. We gathered enough deer meat to last for about a week or so. Combined with the berries and other fruit we picked, I think we did pretty well. After all that is done, Veselle goes out and plays with a few children her own age.

I for the most part just watch her play. It's hard for me to believe that this girl is in fact… the daughter of my father, and my half-sister. She seems too carefree, but… with a programmed mind with a fabricated history… how much does she really know? Is this person just a ploy, or is this just who she is? I really hate Neloth for doing this to her, but I don't mind that he's letting me take care of her. I always wanted a bit of a slower life, and soon enough… once I figure out how to drag out Mercer… my life will be speeding along. Once I find my evidence, and I can drag Mercer away, just long enough to kill him… I can present my evidence and finally come home without hiding my face.

While Veselle is playing with her friends, I'm hanging out with Brynjolf and Mjoll. Sitting outside the town square, eating some yogurt. "I need to drag Mercer out." I said to Brynjolf.

He shook his head. "Bad idea, lass. Mercer, if what you say is true, will not let his guard down easily. You need to set things in motion… or use someone to draw him out for you. Like invading forces… or a mythical hero with a bland uninteresting highly-observant side-character love interest, who both are seemingly entering town to cause unexpected chaos in order for an advancing army to take the town's leadership away from the Stormcloaks."

"That's oddly specific…" Mjoll said as she looked at Mercer.

He shrugged. "Bards know what's up." He winked at me.

I shrugged. "Ok, sure. Until then these people show up, I'll just keep to the shadows, and look for Gallus' old journal."

"Karly!" Veselle cried as she ran up to me. "Everyone wants to hear the story!" A horde of children raced up behind her. I have to tell them the whole story too? Oh man… I feel sorry for all the parents that have to explain what half of this means to their children.

"Story?" Mjoll asked from beside me. She was absent-mindedly swirling her spoon through her yogurt.

Veselle nodded. "Yeah, of how she became your friend?"

Mjoll looked over at me. "You mean the Wooden Mask Quest?"

I nodded. "Yup… that very same quest."

She clapped, laughing as she sat back. "You know… I can't wait to hear this from your mouth. Well then… let's go."

I found myself sighing, casting a glance for any Thieves Guild members. There were none around so… why not? "Well… we just spent 8 hours on this stupid barely floating piece of crap ship called…"

"The Flying Dutchman…" Mjoll added, nodding. "I remember that. Gods… it's been…"

"You mind?" I asked her. "This is my story."

"OH… by all means… blow my mind." She said sarcastically as she started digging her spoon in her yogurt.

"Ok then... I will." I cleared my throat. "So… we just got off the ship…"

…

[14th Mid Year, 4e 196, 12 hours later]

I was expecting a lot of things… I mean, while we were on the ship, we'd been given a brief about the wooden mask thingy. And I did my own research on the mask, using whatever study materials I could find. There wasn't a lot, nor did we really know that much about the thing… but we needed to find it. And there was one recording of its location in the book Neville carried with him: a small Nordic ruin in the outskirts of nowhere, where an old dragon priest settled down to make a mask that would let him go back in time to fix the mistakes of the old… and warn the other dragon priests of the war to come, and prepare Alduin for his inevitable defeat to an Elder Scroll. Honestly, it seemed like an old tale to me… dragons. Never seen one before. Doubt Alduin is real either.

 _Dragons are real!_

 _No they're not! Karly says they don't exist, so they don't!_ Kids… if you keep interrupting, we'll never get through the story. And who knows… I've seen a lot… and there _are_ dragon mounds. So… at some point, someone believed they existed and buried something in their mounds. So… they might exist, someday. Neville seemed to think that the dragons were real… and that they would return not too long from now. It's because of this that we were searching for the wooden mask. He wanted to use the wooden mask to find and collect the other masks… and put them on some shrine that would give him a mask that was said to be strong enough to bring down the strongest of dragons.

Anyway, so the old Nordic ruin wasn't really much of a ruin… and honestly… the whole thing was pretty boring.

 _Tell me about it._ Mjoll, I swear to Nocturnal.

So, anyway… where to really start. The ship we rode on for eight hours, it only took eight hours because we had to dodge every sheet of ice getting in our way. A couple trained mages who worked as dock workers stood at the front of the ship, moving the sheets of ice away, either using Alteration to transform the ice into something else, or using their flames to melt it. It wouldn't take long before the ship was encased with more ice. Now, I don't like travel by ship. No escape plan that doesn't involve drowning in freezing water. Sure, I can swim, but I can't survive in ice for too long. Body cramps will do you in before you ever reach shoreline. You'll end up drowning, frozen forever... floating under a sheet of ice… just like sometimes you see as you with corpses drifting along the Skyrim shoreline.

 _I want my mommy._ Quiet, Georgie.

Once the ship reached its location, Neville was the first one off. I didn't expect us to be surrounded by nothing but floating ice, but that's what we got… a giant sheet of ice that stretched on for a long time. The ship waited for us as we began our investigation.

"According to the text." Neville started as he walked ahead of us. A slight blizzard blew through the air, making me pull up the hood on my winter leather armor. "The entrance to the ruin should be somewhere near the middle of the iceberg."

 _Who on Nirn decides to build a stronghold in the middle of an iceberg? No wonder it was boring!_

 _You said it, little man. I can't believe he even needed us._ Mjoll. Quiet!

 _Are you sure you're best friends?_ Yes, Veselle. The best. Don't say anything, Mjoll. I'm telling the story.

So, here we were… standing on this giant stretch of ice. Our ship was waiting for us to find whatever it was we were looking for so… we started looking. Neville took the lead as he started heading for the middle of the iceberg. Mjoll and I followed behind him. Since I was the only elf, I had perhaps the keenest eyes of the group. I could see through the blizzard, at least enough that I could see the corpses piling the iceberg, frozen in sheets of ice. Hands of skeletons stretched out as the fallen heroes of old tried to crawl away from their fates. It would seem that many adventurers like ourselves had at one point come here seeking the same thing… this wooden mask. Such an odd thing to venture for... and yet… the piles of bodies spoke for themselves.

"I can see dead people." I reported to Mjoll and Neville. I pointed ahead of us, through the thick fog of falling snow that threatened to blanket us if we paused for longer than a few seconds. "It looks like they were clambering away from that mound up ahead."

"A mound?" Neville asked. He smirked, jogging ahead of us. "That's it! The entrance to the forgotten refuge!" He pulled out his journal, reading in ancient Falmer. I remember hearing Falmer before, so I was able to translate in my head, _"In the lands of the forever frost, there is an old ruin, forgotten by time, erased by Auri-El. The ice is treacherous, unforgiving to those unprepared. The entrance to the forgotten refuge of the old king guarded by bones that breathe frost so harsh any who approach never turn away. Forever becoming a collection of artwork for the bones of the forgotten refuge… of the age long lost. Beware all who seek the mask that bends time… beware of the ice demons that wait and watch."_

 _I need to pee._ Georgie… no you don't. You just did. _Can I go now?_ Leaving is for quitters, Georgie. … Leaving is for quitters. I wish we had left when Neville read us the passage in non-Falmer. He translated it pretty well, but his version was a lot less foreboding than what I translated. It was because I was the only one that really knew what the journal said, that I was the only one that wanted to leave.

 _Hey! I wanted to leave too. I was falling asleep on my feet from all the boredom._ Mjoll… I'm not even going to say it at this point. You know what happened. _Aye… Neville made up for it. Never going back there again._ No point anyway.

So, here we were… walking up to an old mound in the thickest of blizzards I'd ever been a part of. Neville was happily humming to himself as we walked through the knee-deep snowfall, Mjoll walking off to my left. Because I was expecting trouble, I reached for my bow, pulling it off my back. I reached for my hip-strapped quiver, readying my first volley of arrows. I thought I saw movement in the snow, and I wasn't the only one noticing it. Mjoll was unsheathing her Grimsever.

 _No… I was pulling it out because you pulled out your bow. I thought you saw something and I was getting prepared myself. See? Glad I let you tell your side of it. Always wondered why._

So… here we were… two readily armed warriors… and a happily lost-in-his-thoughts mage… standing in the middle of a blizzard. I thought it would be a sudden ambush, but I was wrong. First… we heard the roar. The roar that sounded like thunder in the distance, rumbling just ahead of us. It caused Neville to come to a stop… Made me pull an arrow back, aiming into the flurry of thick snow… scanning for any signs of anything I could shoot with my bow. Mjoll was just swinging her sword away, screaming a challenge to anything within the range of her blade.

 _Yeah… well… ok, that's accurate._

My keen elven ears started to pick up the sound of bones clanking against each other… you know… that sound that the skeletons make when they shift on their joints and whatnot. This sound was much louder, as if made by something much taller than your average skeleton. The ground shook lightly underneath us… and the sounds of close rumbling… there was only one thing it could be.

 _Can I spoil it?_ If you want to. _Ok, so… here we were… standing in the snow. And then we both see Neville bend forward. And…um… ok, Karly… I get it. I'm not a good storyteller. You tell it._ Yeah, ok.

Neville was bending over, but only because he saw something moving through the thick snowfall. I saw it too. The bones shifting in the blinding snow… the growling sound of a beast long forgotten… and the sound of heavy footsteps that only grew stronger as whatever it was came towards us. It wasn't long before we all saw it. And… up until that point… I never thought dragons were real. And perhaps they aren't… well… not anymore. But walking through the snow was clear evidence that dragons once existed. It was a walking skeleton of a dragon, enchanted by magics I did not understand, reanimated to walk and growl like a living creature. And as it strode closer to us, the blizzard only began to grow stronger. When we were finally able to see the creature, it saw us as well. It reeled its head back and opened its mouth. We heard a voice from the creature, shouting in a language lost to time. More frost and snow began to fall down around us; hail the size of war hammers falling atop us… icicles as sharp as spears. The entire iceberg nothing but a sudden deathtrap.

I struggled as I turned to flee for cover. I used my uncanny senses and agility as a thief to roll through the falling icicles threatening to turn me into a lost skeleton stretching for the safety of the ship so far away from us. Mjoll merely looking up at the sky, battling at the falling icicles like she was swatting flies. Her sword arm slashed with speeds of a demon, Mjoll dancing like a wraith in the mists…

I cast a glance to Neville. He was our mage after all. And he was doing his mage thing. Those staves he carried on his back were suddenly at his side, stabbed into the very ice, forming a triangle. Neville, standing in the middle of the triangle, was reading from a roll-out scroll, his staves making a protective barrier around him. He was once again reading in the ancient language of the Falmer. I could not catch what he was saying for I was too busy trying to keep myself alive, but when he finished his spell, the walking skeleton turned his attention on Neville. With a loud shouting cry, the dragonic skeleton breathed a heavy mist of frost and death upon Neville… but it was shrugged aside by the collection of staves forming his protective triangle.

Neville finished whatever spell he was forming in his hand and thrust his hand out upon the skeleton. There was a flash of light and… well… everything stopped for a second. The falling icicles stopped falling, the blizzard waned… and the skeleton stood still, as if trapped in a moment. A second later, the skeleton broke apart, falling back to the icy floor from whence it sprouted. And all that was left were us three, standing in a barren icy continent. As the blizzard dissipated, I suddenly realized that the snowfall had been a spell the whole time. If the snow had been real, we would have been buried in layers of snow much deeper than our own knees.

I looked up into the sky, seeing the sun starting to poke its head out through the clearing clouds. Neville was collecting his staves, brushing his hands off. "Well… that went as expected."

"Expected?" I almost shouted to the poor man. "Was that a dragon?"

Neville nodded. "Yes, of course. He defends the ancient resting place of the wooden mask. I knew a spell to dismiss him. Why? Did… did I forget to mention him?"

I nodded. "Yeah… What else will we be facing?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. No one's ever made it past the dragon."

"Great…" I sighed. What were we going to be fighting next?

Beside me, Mjoll was laughing. "That does sound great. More of a challenge. I almost fell asleep back there. Not tough enough." Was she for real? I hated situations where I had my life hanging on the line like that. Of course, seeing how quickly she moved, I could understand just how boring it might become when you're a complete monster.

 _Hey… I'm not a monster; everyone just isn't trying hard enough._ Exactly.

"You're crazy." I told Mjoll as I looked back to Neville. "Ok, so… where's the entrance to the mound?"

He nodded to us to follow him. "According to the journal, the entrance to the lost refuge should be…" He pointed to the mound of snow. "Under that. Well…" He jogged ahead of us. I kept up behind him, watching as he started waving his hands around, blowing the snow off the mound with his magicka. With the snow gone, we could see a locked cellar door. With a wave of his hand, the cellar door snapped open. "That should be that. I scanned for any signs of magical traps, there were a few that I managed to diffuse. They would have ended up killing us if we didn't take care of them."

"Man… this guy was not messing around." I found myself saying. To go through so much stuff to defend this spot… but why? For a mask?

"You'll have to explain to me again why this mask is so important." I said to Neville as we followed behind him into the underground bunker.

"Back in the old days, back when dragons ruled mankind, the priests who worshiped these dragons practiced magics far beyond what we are capable of these days. These priests used to wear masks to make them look more like the dragons they worshiped, and these masks were blessed with the very magic they used to practice. These masks heighten natural abilities… or have supernatural powers. The wooden mask I seek was a mask created after the Dragon War. The mage wanted nothing more than to travel back through time and fix the mistakes the war made. He wanted to save the dragons and their lord who was lost in time." Neville told us as we walked down the staircase leading into the tomb. "But unfortunately… we never knew what happened to the mage. He must have failed because… well… look around. No dragons. History hasn't made it so that they are alive again. The mask also has the power to bring the past to the present. You can think of the dragon skeleton as a proof of that. The skeleton containing the soul of the dragon living here. The past… meeting the present."

"So, why are we fetching this mask anyway?" I asked.

Neville looked back at me, smirking. "Well, I suppose it won't hurt. I've been hired to study the mask, find out if it really works. My client really wants this mask, but… I suppose I wish to know for myself it if is real. I have made some mistakes I would like to see undone. And we know the mask is truly here _because_ of the skeletal dragon. In fact, I can feel the mask's power from here."

"I just hope something exciting happens." Mjoll said from behind me.

Well, nothing exciting happened. We walked down the stairs, which eventually let out into a large circular chamber. There was a straw bed in the center of the room, a small skeleton wrapped up in old fabrics waiting for us. Upon his face was the wooden mask that we sought. I had to admit, the mask looked stronger than I thought it could have. I'm trained in spotting enchanted objects, if not only because they're worth a pretty gold piece. The mask shone with the delicate wrappings of enchantments. As soon as we walked down into the room, the skeleton started to rise off the bed, looking over to us.

I reached for my bow, but the skeleton raised his hand, gesturing for me to stand down. "We speak." He said to me as he looked to Neville. "Only a mage could have bypassed my security system. A battle between us would scorch the world something fierce. Perhaps a conversation would better suit us than a war."

Mjoll scoffed. "Well, there goes my afternoon."

 _Can you blame me? I was bored! And fighting a dragon priest? That! That is the pinnacle of an adventurer's dream._

Neville nodded to the dragon priest. "I agree. I do not wish for us to fight. I feel a discussion is always the better route." He walked towards the dragon priest, pulling up a chair and sitting down. The dragon priest settled himself onto his bed again, his old bones creaking with the effort of even standing up. I was surprised to see an intelligent skeletal creature still capable of thinking and acting humane. Normally, they are constructs that do not know what to do or how to act. I watched as Neville glanced over to the dragon priest. "So… I want your mask. Can I have it?"

"Can I ask a few questions first?" The dragon priest asked Neville, to which he nodded. "Why do you seek my mask? Do you truly know what it is you're attempting?"

Neville shook his head. "I cannot say that I do fully understand, but I do wish to learn. I'm being employed to pick up the mask for study, but… there is a moment in time I would go back to… to fix."

If a dragon priest with a wooden mask could smirk, he just did so. I could hear it in his disembodied chuckle. "That's the problem. I _did_ use the mask. I never took it off. I have wandered the astral realms… visited the past… the future… everywhere in between… and somewhere along the way, I lost my identity. I have changed things that could never be undone… for once you change something with the mask… it can never go back to being the way it was before. You cannot fix your mistake twice. Nor… nor can you fix someone else's mistakes. I call this mask _Daal_ … return. It lets you return… but the mask serves more than one purpose. In the mage maze in Skyrim… in the middle of the ruin… is a shrine… use the mask there and you'll see a shrine. Collect the other masks… and you'll receive the prize. The one mask to rule them all."

Neville nodded. "Thank you for sharing that."

The dragon priest shook his hand. "It's no problem. I've lived far too long… too many regrets, mistakes… all blending in past… present… the future. Just know… whatever you fix… won't follow you back. It goes to a parallel world you can never visit, but can always see. The many worlds that run alongside our own… each a jewel in their own right… Regret… such a strong word… able to drive a man to do anything to fix it… even if he knows he can never touch it… to see the end result for himself."

Neville nodded. "So… even if I used the mask… the person I wish to bring back wouldn't…"

The dragon priest shook his head. "I am sorry… _Daal…_ to return… not to bring back."

Neville nodded again, this time looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry. You've lived so long… just to warn whoever might enter this room of the dangers and expectations of using your mask."

The dragon priest nodded. "You understand my grievances then. If you are ready to accept my responsibility… then by all means… I'm ready to rest now."

Neville nodded. He stood up and trudged over to the dragon priest. "Time to rest." He gripped the edges of the mask, pulling it off the skeleton. Just like that, the bones started to fall apart into a mess on the bed, no longer held together by the ancient magics that surrounded this place.

Mjoll, who was standing beside me, was wiping at her eye… trying her best not to cry.

 _Hey, I was not crying… there was ice dust in my eyes._ Right, Mjoll. Of course.

I nod to Neville. "Are we all set to go?"

He nodded back to me. "Yes. Once we get back to Windhelm, I'll be sure to pay you for all your troubles. I know it wasn't what you were expecting, but… I didn't know what to expect either."

Thinking of what had happened in just half a day, of how I went from being drunk and sprawled out on a table… barely able to think of anything other than the loss of my love… I think I realized that I needed to be out here, doing stuff again. I needed more than anything to gather my thoughts, find some friends, and get back into the world again. "It's no problem. Can we follow you the rest of the way?"

The mage smirked at me, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid my journey with you two will end shortly. I have two others I promised I would travel with, and now I know where we need to go. The mage's maze… in Skyrim. I know where that is. So… let's get back to the ship. We have a lot of partying to do."

And so… we went back to the ship. Mjoll, Neville, and I spent the night drinking and all trying on the masks. And I'll tell you… I won't tell you where I went, what I did… but each time one of us put on the mask, we would vanish for a few seconds, to even a few minutes, depending on how long we kept on the mask. I did things… saw things… and got to see how things would have ended up with me and my love… and… while I loved every second of it… the word _regret_ always rang through my head. Would I regret it? Knowing what I lived through, what I could have had? I could never truly go back… but I had a whole future ahead of me. I decided it was time to get somewhere with it. So… right before we got off the ship, I had one more thing to do.

I walked over to Mjoll. She was busy sharpening her Grimsever. "Hey, Mjoll… do you feel like traveling together for a while. I think we both need a friend… after what we've been through."

She nodded. "It would be nice, knowing that someone is watching my back."

And that's the story kids… of how Mjoll and I became best friends. One tiny quest… one realization… that while we have things we regret… things we would change, dwelling on the past will only deplete the time we have left to do things that can change our futures. And so… Mjoll and I carved a new path through this world. We had a lot of fun, saw a lot of things… but most importantly of all… we made new memories… ones I would never wish to change. I no longer needed the mask… and we never did find out what happened to Neville. Perhaps he found what he was looking for… or perhaps he is still holding onto the mask, glancing into the alternative future he set for himself. We may never know.

…

[Present day]

As I finished up my story, I suddenly realized that I had tears forming in my eyes. It was true… Neville had given me the opportunity to get out of my rut but… I had never forgiven him for leaving us, for letting us leave him. I considered him a true friend, among Mjoll… and yet… after what we'd been through, we never knew what became of him or the wooden mask. I liked to think that he was still out there, recruiting other fighters and archers to help him find lost artifacts. Perhaps help them out the way he helped Mjoll and myself out.

I glanced over at Mjoll. She was quietly digging around her yogurt, glancing at it with empty eyes. "Aye… I miss him too. He was an old friend of my mother… like a brother to her. He said he would find me a true friend… and then we ended up in Windhelm on some crazy quest to recover some stupid mask. I never quite knew why he needed us… but then again… perhaps he knew _we_ needed _him_."

I nodded. "I think that was the case." I looked down at Veselle… and… that got me thinking. Mages seem to know more than they let on. Perhaps… perhaps Neloth had planned this all along. I'm here… Mjoll's here… and my tiny sister… perhaps this was just another opportunity for us. For all of us.

I clapped my hands together. "Ok… so… anyone want another story?"

"I want to go change my pants." Georgie whined.

"Ok…" I looked around at everyone. "How about tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" They all screamed in unison. You know… I think I could grow to like telling stories. You never know what you'll end up saying by the end of it.

* * *

 **Cearbhail:**

 _So, story one is complete. Someone has already requested my second story, between Hircine and a random character. So... try to figure out what I'll do for it. I will being it not too long from now. Back to Ruby's story for at least a chapter though.  
_


	3. The Wooden Mask, Part 2

**Cearbhail** :

 _It's been a long time since I've upgraded this, but... I have reasons. First off, I wanted to focus on Changing Fates (get a few chapters out) Then... Chronicles of Commonwealth came into play. Ruins and Dwarves Online might be popping up soon, and... then A Certain Mythical Ballista became something I really wanted to work on.  
_

 _So... just to clear the air. This is the second story. To the person who wanted me to write a fanfiction of Hircine and some other person... I'm still going to do that. It will be the fourth story. This second one is a continuation of the first one. It never felt complete... and this will help complete it. It takes place during Adventures of Lydia... right after Ruby and Maleek go to Riften to kill Maven Black-Briar. Like... immediately after._

 _So, without any more waiting... here's The Wooden Mask Pt 2_

 _=^^= Enjoy..._

* * *

[Karliah] 4e 205, 25th Morningstar

"Such a waste." Mjoll stated from beside me.

I could only shake my head at the sight of the death surrounding us. Today was the 25th… we should be doing the Old Life Festival tonight. A grand festival full of drinking, partying, giving presents to everyone we meet, and in general just having a jolly time. That wasn't what today was like though. I mean sure… we started having a grand time, but then… Ruby and Maleek decided to come crash the party. I still remember the carnage we faced just an hour ago.

…

I was down in the guild, choosing from the various pilfered goods, I mean… sorting through the various curiosities we've obtained while out on acquisition parties. I wanted the perfect gift to give to Veselle. She didn't need to know where it came from, just that it was the best (and preferably the most expensive) thing in the guild. I had it sorted between a beautiful Redguard assassin lotus dancer dress, which was adorned with many real jewels, sown with the brightest red silk with green sleeves of a rich jade coloring adorned with jades in the ends of the sleeves; and a vase. I was leaning towards the dress, even though I doubt Veselle could fill the dress's necessary cup size (she's still too young). I might hold onto the dress until she turns at least two years older. But… I couldn't just give her a vase, could I? What use could she have for a vase? Who _needs_ a vase? Something to put flowers in, I guess, but other than that… water? We have buckets and jugs for that. I honestly never thought about what vases are even good for. Decoration mostly, I think.

I shrugged at the whole thought, turning away from the dress and the vase. I saw a really nice wand made in the swamps of Black Marsh. The wand was made from a famous Altmer artisan mage who specialized in custom-made wands and staves. The wand itself was probably just as valuable as the dress was, but when it came down to it… did I want to bring an artifact of magick into Veselle's home and put it in her hands? As far as I've known the girl, her father warned me against letting her do anything involving magicka. If anything were to spark her destructive nature… it could cost us a lot of damage in Riften. I wanted to avoid that at all costs. No telling what would happen to this town if Veselle were suddenly aware of her magicka. From what Neloth seems to think, she has enough raw power to destroy the whole town with just a bad thought. I don't think the town could survive one afternoon with that much raw power coming from her…

…

If I even believed that was possible, today would be the worst day for Veselle to magickally develop. All these dead bodies, not to mention the towering Daedric Maven Black-Briar destroying half of our town would most likely stir inside Veselle a vessel for her Destructive magicka. I've seen mages rage before. I've seen their auras of pure unadulterated power emanate from their bodies whenever they freak out. If Veselle had any power in her… seeing these dead bodies might spark some sort of explosion from her. And not only would she become a threat to the town… but the witch she's hiding from would be able to pick up on her energy signature and trace it back to us, maybe.

I wanted nothing more than to be with my family and friends right now… deciding which Old Festival food group to partake in whether it be turkey, ham, or even the fruitiest of fruitcakes. Instead, I'm cleaning up the various remains of the Aldmeri Dominion agents that somehow snuck into our town. Mjoll and a few guardsmen are helping me clean up the streets of the vile interlopers. I can only guess these Dominion agents were some of Maven's personal bodyguards, which would mean that the 'most powerful' woman in Riften was in league with the Aldmeri Dominion. The thought wasn't too hard to get behind. The 'most powerful' woman in Skyrim would sell herself to the biggest powerhouse government in the world.

I kind have wished Maleek or Ruby would have told us their plans before attempting this assassination. I would have liked setting up traps for any and all incidents that would have led to things like this. Not to mention… the destruction this town faced because of their actions. Maleek… the Argonian assassin blew up our only working forge (with the exclusion of the one down in the ratway). Maven Black-Briar turned into a towering Daedra Prince and began smashing our buildings, only to be set on fire, and destroy our lakeside town. Our meadery and our fishery were completely destroyed. Now we have no fresh fish to shop for, and no fresh ale to drink this evening. It's perhaps the worst Old Life Festival we could ever hope to have.

"Stupid heroes." I said over to Mjoll. "Just walk in here and do whatever they wish… and then they just leave without ever saying a word." They didn't even bring us a cake for Old Life Festival. It's a custom.

Mjoll chuckled to herself. "Reminds me of us… when we were younger."

"Before we had a child to care for." I tacked on. Of course, I was referring to my younger sister, Veselle. The little brainwashed girl that my father ditched in Riften to protect her from some evil witch. I was here in town keeping an eye on her for him, with the help of Mjoll and a man by the name Brand-Shei. However, Brand-Shei was currently locked up in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

I bent down, grabbing on of the dead Dominion agents that was spared the fate of incineration by the weird… dragon/snake… cat thing that appeared out of nowhere. This agent had a nice set of black robes with rich golden seams embroiled along the edges. One of their high-ranking officials? I didn't often see robes this fancy. I could sell this for a high price… or I could give it to one of my Altmer thief friends, give them a way into the Embassy in the north. Hopefully they could slip right in and just… learn a thing or two about or local friendly Dominion rulers.

As I started undressing the Thalmor, I heard the crunch of a note. A note? Valuable intelligence, perhaps? I reached into the jacket, pulling out an unsealed envelope. I opened the note up, reading it.

 _Under Orders of Councilor Fiirnar the Fourth, presiding Overseer of Dragon Lore,_

 _You are to search for any signs of the Dragon Priests Masks, and bring them to Labyrinthian. There are eight in total, plus a wooden mask thought to be obscured in the northern frozen fields. The wooden mask is the key to the whole operation, but it would seem that an earlier agent has already acquired it for the Synod. Mind you, these reports were from 196; and any further reports of this Synod agent have been lost. The last known locale for this Synod agent was Labyrinthian; we believe he may still be there, if not a corpse. If what we believe is true, then you are to report to Labyrinthian as soon as you are able, or dispatch a few soldiers to the locale. The Synod are not to be allowed to own these artifacts; the future of the Dominion is in your hands. Reacquire the wooden mask at all costs. Execute the Synod agent if he is still alive. When the Synod learn of the mask's existence and the fall of their researcher… they will come in bigger numbers to reclaim any research done on the dragon masks._

 _We already have several other agents working on acquiring known dragon masks throughout Skyrim, you are to focus on obtaining the wooden one, and then focus on learning of the other masks that have remained hidden to us. When you acquire all eight… send a message to Overseer Fiirnar the 4th. He will Send to your location and proceed to tell you the next step in our operation._

 _Councilor Huniir._

 _…_

So, the Dominion was interested in dragon masks. And they were looking for a wooden mask as well. There was only one wooden mask I could think of that could have any connection to the dragon masks. It would be the same wooden mask Mjoll and I teamed up to collect. And the last time anyone checked, that mask was located at the derelict ruin: Labyrinthian.

"Mjoll…" I called over to her. "Want to go on an adventure?"

She glanced up at me. "I want to get out of the city clean-up as much as you do, Karliah, but we have to be here in case the Dominion feels like attacking again."

I shook my head, showing her the note in my hand. "I think we have something more important to handle right now." I stood up, walking over to her.

Mjoll dropped the guy she was dragging off to the cart that would lead to the bonfire. She closed the distance to me, taking the note from me. She scanned the note quickly, her curious face turning even more confused as she read it. "Wait, wait…" She shook her head. "Labyrinthian?"

I nodded. "Yes. The Dominion thinks the mask ended up at Labyrinthian. And that means…"

Mjoll looked down at the note. "Neville. We might find out what happened to him."

That was something we've always wanted to know. We've never seen him since he left. "So… feel like going on an adventure?"

Mjoll nodded. "Yes. Allow me to go pack some previsions, give the guards their assignments, and make sure we're defended against a counter-attack."

"And I'll go check in on Veselle. I hope she'll be ok with us gone." The poor girl has been through so much with her fake father being put in prison. I'm not sure she would be fine with both Mjoll and me just leaving without a second thought. I had to make sure she understood why I was leaving.

Mjoll and I parted ways. I walked back to the wooden house Veselle lived in, right next to the river. As I walked up, I could see a small scene… one I must have missed earlier. There was a pool of blood right outside her door, a couple arrows sitting right in front of the door. A bloody handprint was crusted over the door handle. Oh no… Veselle.

I rushed through the door, slamming it open. The door had been locked, but when it comes to my expertise on lock-picking… there is no such thing as a locked door. There was another pool of blood behind the door, as well as a small stream of blood pooling from the interior side of the door. "Veselle!" I screamed. There was no way she could be alive; losing that much blood… and she wasn't a healer. She couldn't just close wounds like that, not with the training I gave her. I taught her how to survive… not perform healing miracles.

I saw where some bloody footprints led away towards the kitchen, but it wasn't like what I would expect to see. The footprints weren't erratically spaced like she was running, falling, or even limping. It was like she calmly walked away. That had me curious. "Veselle?" I called again, welcomed by only silence. In the distance, I could hear running water. So… she decided to die off in the shower? It's what I'd do.

I followed the bloody footprints, which grew less and less bloody with each step. They ended in the kitchen, where I saw a fresh glass of orange juice, an apple core, and an empty bowl of what looked like cereal. That and a giant bloody chair. So… a wounded, bleeding Veselle decided to collapse at the door, stand up, and… eat some breakfast… _before_ running into the shower to die? I can't imagine how I'm going to explain this to Neloth.

I made my way over to the bathroom, the sound of the shower growing even louder until it suddenly cut off. Cut off? I heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and I was so dumbfounded, I knocked on the door. "Veselle?"

The door opened up and out came walking Veselle, wrapped up in a towel with another towel wrapped around her hair. She glanced up at me with wide eyes. "Oh… hi, Karly. What's up?"

What's up? All that blood and she's asking 'what's up?' "Is it _that_ time of month?" I gestured to all the blood around the house.

Veselle's face turned darker as it blushed over. She pushed me a bit, screaming, "Shut up! And no! You won't believe it but… I kind of… was shot by archers."

I nodded. "Well, if it weren't for the bloody arrows, pools of blood, or dead Dominion archers outside your house… I would have never guessed. What I don't understand is how… you're not dead." I checked her arms for any holes or signs of battle damage. Her skin was as smooth as ever. She even looked _healthier_ than usual. After all the training I've put her through… there should be a scar right here on this arm, but it was completely healed.

Veselle shrugged a bit. "Um…" She went back to drying off her body with a third towel she had. "I kind of… summoned a giant Aedric dragon…"

Oh, so that dragon was from Veselle. If she managed to summon that thing, that would mean that she's been skipping on her 'special' more like 'magicka-blocking' drinks that were a part of her daily meals. "You summoned a dragon?"

She nodded. "I was hit by an arrow. And… this voice called to me. Told me to make a contract with him. He would save my life. I… I didn't want to die. So… I called him. And he came. He killed the Dominion people, healed my wounds… and then I ran inside when those two people fought Maven." Those two people? Ruby and Maleek? Had to be.

I grabbed the girl, hugging her close to me. "I'm just glad you're safe. I thought for certain I would be gathering your body off the ground like the other dead people outside." I had no idea when I first met her just how much this little sister would end up meaning to me. Almost made me want to seek out Brelyna and talk to her. Last time I saw her, I was taking back the Thieves Guild from Mercer.

I heard Veselle squeak at the mention of me picking up her dead body. "Dying's not fun."

The hug lasted another few seconds before I heard a knock at the door. Since the door was open, that meant someone was already inside the house. I heard the light footsteps behind us, just loud enough for me to hear. "Pantu… you're not silent enough." I chastised the young Khajiit as he walked into the living room.

Pantu was my apprentice. He was the one I wanted to secede me.

Pantu nodded a welcome to me. "Mjoll says you're going on a quest."

I nodded. "I am."

"You are?" Veselle almost screamed. "But!" She looked around the house frantically. "Things are _weird_ right now!"

I looked down at the frightened girl, grabbing her by her arms to keep her calm. "Veselle, I have found a clue that might lead me to an old friend of mine. Neville."

She stopped fidgeting long enough to look up at me. "So… you're leaving to find your friend?"

I nodded. "Or what happened to him. I should only be gone a week or so."

She nodded. "Yeah… ok."

"And Pantu's going to watch over you." I said reassuringly.

"I am?" He asked.

"He is?" She almost echoed back.

I nodded. "Yes. So, Pantu, keep an eye on my sister. And Veselle, don't give Pantu any trouble."

Pantu crossed his arms. "So… my orders are just to watch your sister? Anything else?"

I shook my head, but then I thought of something. Veselle was using magicka again. We had to contain that. "Yeah, make sure she drinks her garlic shake."

Veselle's face scrunched up. "Really? I mean… I already drank it today."

I crossed my arms. "Veselle, I know you're lying." If you _did_ drink it… you'd be dead. On second thought… why am I making her drink this thing again? Oh yeah… Neloth says she might end up blowing up the town with her emotional magicka if she doesn't drink it. Or the witch he's looking for might find her. I needed answers. "Pantu, go get Veselle some lunch." I glanced at him. He caught my meaning.

He grabbed Veselle by the hand and started pulling her out. "I know a great fish market down the street. I serve the best fish and chips."

"But…" She started to say as she was dragged out the living room.

As soon as the two of them were out of the room, I turned my attention to the crystal ball sitting in the living room. Time to have a chat with daddy dearest. I picked up the crystal ball, taking it into the bathroom with me. At least I knew I would have some amount of privacy in here. I dialed in his frequency, waiting for a few seconds. He eventually appeared on the screen, looking as nonchalant as ever.

"Karliah? We're not scheduled for a monthly status update for at least six more days." He replied dryly, and he wonders why I hate him so much.

"It's important. Veselle's not been drinking her garlic shakes."

His eyebrows shot up, but his face remained neutral. "Oh?"

I nodded. "Oh." I confirmed. "We were attacked today by the Dominion. They shot her with arrows… and she summoned some kind of… blue and gold long dragon creature. It was weird."

He nodded. "An Aedric Vermeister. I'm quite aware of their existence." He started stroking his short beard, thinking. "But… to summon such a creature by herself… that would mean her magicka is much too powerful to be contained by a small garlic concoction. Soon enough, she'll start getting the attention of much stronger beings… vampires, werewolves… anything that feeds on magicka or strong souls. She isn't safe in Riften anymore."

"Then you can come pick her up." It shouldn't be too hard.

He shook his head. "Things in Raven Rock are not stable. Ever since I dropped her off, the witch has done whatever she can to deliberately annoy me. With the increasing ash spawn attacks… I'm afraid I cannot just walk away. You should bring her down."

I had to shake my head. "I'm actually about to leave on a quest. An old friend of mine has been missing for a long time, and… I just learned that the Dominion knows of his location."

"And if they know… chances are time is not on his side." Neloth continued to pull at his beard. "I understand. Time is of the essence. Take great care, daughter. If I can, I will see about having Veselle travel to me with some sort of guide. I guess she can travel here with Brand-Shei."

"He's in prison." I reminded Neloth.

Neloth groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I will figure this out. You get packed to leave. Out of curiosity… the Dominion may be made up of high elves… but they are smart. Why are they targeting your friend?"

"He was studying dragon masks… and they want the dragon mask he has." I told Neloth about my adventure with the man, and the time-traveling wooden mask we acquired. He took the whole tale without interrupting me once, which I enjoyed. Every time I told it to Veselle, there was at least one interjection. As I got through the tale, I told him about the note I collected off the dead Thalmor.

Neloth sat there, brushing his beard with his long fingers while he listened. When I was done, he only bobbed his head. "Interesting. I suggest you hurry; the dragon masks… are powerful tools, in my experience. The Dominion is more than likely seeking magickal weapons they can use against the dragons there in Skyrim. It is the only thing I can think of that would give them an edge in their conquest of the land. I will see to Veselle's travel plans. You need not worry. Goodbye." Just like that, his image was gone.

I quickly went to packing up whatever I could; potions, enchanted weapons and clothes, special rations. I had a small pack set to go by the time Mjoll was standing by the door. She had her pack slung across her shoulder, nodding at me to join her. "Shall we depart?"

I nodded. "Let's go. Did you acquire any horses for us?"

She nodded again. "Being captain of the guard comes with its own perks."

"So does being the guild master of the Thieves Guild." I replied. "Labyrinthian…" I tried to think about what I knew about that place. It was an old Nordic ruin that Shalidor built to test archmages or something like that. I guess it would be a good place for Neville to study a magickal mask. I would just have to find out. "Let's go see if Neville remember us."

She nodded. "I must admit… I'm a little worried about what we'll find."

"But nonetheless… we will find something, and this time… we're not leaving until we've found out what happened to him." We've looked for him before, but we've never found any clue at all. This was the first indication we've received about his whereabouts. I just hope we find him. He's in trouble now… and he's going to need our help.

"We _will_ find him." Mjoll reassured me. "We have to."

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

So, Karliah and Mjoll are on their way to find their old friend and see if he's still alive. Anyone want to pitch in some ideas? Because I have a shell of a story assembled (I forgot most of it before I got here).


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